PLANT-BASED RECIPES,CULINARY NUTRITION TIPS &PLANT-BASED LIVING

Shrikand is a sweet yogurt dish that hails from India, widely popular in Gujarat and Maharashtra. It's made with strained yogurt (Greek style yogurt) and flavored with saffron, cardamon, and any variety of nuts, fresh and/or dried fruits. The saffron and cardamom give Shrikand its distinct characteristic flavor. The traditional version is very, very sweet with added sugar. This recipe uses only fruit for sweetness, but if you want to bring it up, coconut sugar or a date syrup seem like good choices for this dish.

Shrikand, naturally, has not been part of my vegan diet, but having been to those regions in India, the signature flavors are nostalgic for me. I was recently visiting a friend whom I had traveled to India with. She's also vegan now. After a wonderful vegan dinner, she brought out Anita's Creamline Coconut Yogurt and said, 'You know, you can make shrikand with this!' My eyes got really big. I've used Anita's yogurt for other recipes and it is a great product. It's perfect for shrikand because it's very thick and creamy. The traditional shrikand recipe involves hanging the yogurt to strain the liquid out.

There are a few vegan Greek style yogurts on the market that may also be suitable for a vegan shrikand. Many of them have added sugar, so that is something to consider when finding the sweetness you want. I would opt for plain, unsweetened for this dish, as the condiments and fruit will do the trick. The key is that the yogurt is not runny or watery in any way.

​My friend made a shrikand with fresh blackberries, saffron and cardamom, with no added sugar. Really delicious! I've designed my own variation here, with some of my favorite things like nectarines, because they're in season and bountiful at this time of year, and I'm mad for matcha, so I've added this as a finishing condiment.